The Prime Minister’s Office has summoned Telecom Secretary Amit Agrawal to explain how telecom officials ordered internet providers to block 129 websites using forged court orders, according to two government officials cited by Reuters. The intervention follows findings that documents presented as High Court directions were used to initiate website takedowns.
The websites were identified as illegal betting platforms, an activity that is prohibited in India. However, the episode has raised questions about the safeguards in the country’s content-blocking process, particularly after the purported court documents were found to be fraudulent. The documents were reportedly emailed to officials by individuals posing as lawyers.
Telecom secretary asked to explain the lapse
Agrawal, the senior bureaucrat in the telecom ministry, was asked to appear before the Prime Minister’s Office on 14 November 2026. The meeting reportedly interrupted a visit to another state. The telecom ministry oversees the Department of Telecommunications and its engagement with internet service providers and telecom operators.
One government official said the blocking action had been carried out through field officers of the Department of Telecommunications.
“The action taken by the Department of Telecommunications against betting accounts was carried out through the relevant field officers,” said one of the government officials.
Reuters reported that the two court orders contained fabricated court logos and seals, along with a fake QR code. Police and the relevant court registry identified the orders as fraudulent. The documents remained publicly accessible on a Department of Telecommunications website for months, according to the report.
Investigations are under way
The alleged fraud has led to separate administrative and law-enforcement action. The telecom ministry began an internal investigation on 13 November 2026, while a state police force opened a criminal investigation against unknown people for alleged forgery and cheating. Police have also sought ministry records as part of their inquiry.
- The Prime Minister’s Office has sought an explanation from Telecom Secretary Amit Agrawal.
- Internet providers were instructed to block 129 betting websites using court orders later found to be fake.
- The telecom ministry and state police are examining how the documents were accepted and acted upon.
The case is important for India’s digital infrastructure because an order passed through telecom authorities can affect whether users can reach a website. The reported incident indicates that forged legal paperwork was able to enter an official takedown process before its authenticity was challenged. That creates a technology-policy concern beyond the websites involved: blocking systems need to distinguish genuine judicial directions from documents that merely appear to be court orders.
The episode also comes amid wider concern about the reliability of legal material used in technology-related decisions. The Supreme Court of India set aside tribunal orders in July after they relied on non-existent judgments, while a US judge recently disqualified lawyers over fabricated legal citations. In the Indian website-blocking case, the criminal investigation will determine who created and submitted the forged orders, while the government review is examining the officials’ handling of them.
